604 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
Dr. R. H. Wolcott found it resident, and apparently breeding, at Charle- 
voix, and the writer found several pairs, evidently nesting, on Beave- 
Island, Lake Michigan, in the summer of 1904. The University expedition 
to Northern Michigan found a few specimens in the Porcupine Mountains 
during July, and adults accompanied by young were seen there on July 
16, 1904. Mr. T. B. Wyman states that it is a summer resident and breeds 
at Negaunee, Marquette county, and Mr. 8. E. White found it a not un- 
common summer resident on Mackinac Island in 1890 and 1891. There 
is little doubt that it nests regularly, but in small numbers, over a con- 
siderable area in Crawford, Otsego and Oscoda counties, and probably 
in other counties in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula. So 
far as we can learn, however, no one has ever taken the eggs in the state. 
Inthe light of our present knowledge we should say that the breeding area 
lies entirely north of the Saginaw-Grand Valley, yet it is very likely that 
isolated pairs may nest in favorable situations much farther south. 
The food of the bird in many respects resembles that of the other warblers, 
but this species appears to take a much larger proportion of vegetable 
matter, at least during migration. It gets its name of Myrtle Warbler 
from its fondness for the berries of the wax-myrtle or bay-berry (Myrica 
cerijera), on which it feeds greedily during its migration along the Atlantic 
Coast. It is also one of the birds which eats freely the berries of the poison 
sumac and poison ivy (Rhus venenata and R. toxicodendron), and by 
so doing distributes these pests more widely. It also eats numerous 
other berries and seeds, probably taking almost any small fruits which 
come in its way. 
Its song is in no way remarkable, and is not easily described so as to be 
recognized. It is a rather pleasant warble, consisting of a repetition of 
a few syllables, which Seton Thompson describes as “‘pheo pheo pheo, 
phew-phee, phew-phee, the first part being uttered very rapidly and the 
last with more deliberation” (Birds of Manitoba, p. 618). 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Adult male: Always recognizable by its four yellow patches, namely, one on the crown, 
one on the rump, one on each side of the breast; in addition, the upper parts are bluish- 
ash, streaked with black; the throat and middle of belly white and unstreaked; breast 
and sides heavily streaked and spotted with black; two white wing-bars; two or three 
outer pairs of tail-feathers spotted with white on inner webs near the end. The female is 
similar, but browner above and less extensively streaked with black below; the four yellow 
patches are always to be found. In fall and winter the yellow and black are more or less 
concealed by the broad white or ashy edges and tips of the feathers, and in young of the 
year little or no yellow may be visible. 
Length 5 to 6 inches; wing 2.75 to 2.85; tail 2.20 to 2.30; female somewhat smaller. 
274, Magnolia Warbler. Dendroica magnolia (Wilson). (657) 
Synonyms: Black and Yellow Warbler, Spotted Warbler.—Sylvia magnolia, Wils., 
1811.—Motacilla maculosa, Gmel., 1788.—Sylvia maculosa, Vieill, Bonap., Aud., Nutt.— 
Dendroica maculosa and Dendrceca maculosa of most recent authors. 
Figure 136. 
Known by its rich yellow rump and under parts, the latter thickly 
streaked with black. Especially characteristic is the dark tail with a 
broad zone of pure white across its middle, each feather (except the middle 
pair) being dark at base and tip with middle third white. 
